So Over: Virtual Outpourings

There it is, a heartfelt message on a friend's status: "I lost my beloved (insert loved one here) this day two years ago. Miss you always" followed by an incongruous "Sarah Fakename liked this".

Which is weirder: people posting death notices on social media or other people liking them? There's a schadenfreude-y connotation here that just doesn't sit well. With all this virtual emoting - the death of Peaches Geldof sparked unprecedented levels of online grieving - maybe we need a new empathy button that generates instant, oh-so-sincere messages of condolence, or perhaps a sad-face emoji will do?